Top 8 Clever Google Search Tricks

Where would we be without Google? It is safe to assume that every single person reading this blog has used Google or, at least, knows how to use Google. However there are times when no matter how specifically we use SEO keywords or a particular phrase, Google fails to show what we need to find.

Even after using Google for every little task, did you know that you might not be using this mammoth search engine to its full potential? Here are 8 Google tips and tricks to maximize your search efficiency and help you find what you just want to.

How to use Google?

1) Use Quotes

The simplest and most effective way to search for something is to use quote marks around your search parameters. For instance, if you search, “Little Robin Hood”, Google will surface only those results which have the words “Little Robin Hood” on the page. It is a very useful trick to find results containing only a specific phrase and exclude more common and less relevant results.

2) Exclude Terms

When you need to find something with an ambiguous meaning, a simple hyphen can help you find exactly what you need. When you search for ‘salsa’, you may get results for both the words – salsa-famous Mexican dish, and salsa-a dance form. If you want to eliminate any one result, you can simply use a hyphen.

For example, if you want to search for salsa-but not the dance, you can search as:

Salsa-dance.

The – sign indicates that you want to eliminate all the results that have the word “dance” in it. It is one of theclever Google tips and tricks when are you trying to find some data without including any other information.

3) Search Within A Site

This one is delightfully simple. Now the search engines of most websites are quite poor. Instead of using the website’s search system, you can simply use Google to find your required information.

You can search a particular term within a site by searching with the folloiwng search parameter: nyc.gov followed by a search term. This will reveal the results only from the website nyc.gov.

4) Time Zones

Not sure if it’s too late to call your friend in Spain? Don’t fret, and try to do math in your head to find the exact time. Simply search for the term: What time it is in Spain? Google will surface the exact time in Spain, and you can call your friends without disturbing their sleep.

5) Track Your Packages

This is another neat trick you can use. You can use Google to find out where your packages have reached. You can provide your FedEx tracking number, or UPS, or USPS number directly into the Google search bar, and Google will disclose information about your parcel. This is much simpler than logging into individual sites and searching for your packages.

6) Money and Unit Conversions

Do you have a dedicated app on your phone just to convert miles to kilometers or pound to U.S Dollars? There is no use of such apps when Google can perform this task in a jiffy. Just like any other conversion app, you can use Google search bar to provide you with conversion results. Just search convert 1000 U.S Dollars in Yen, and Google will give you accurate results in seconds.

Not only this, but you can also do quick calculations on your behalf too. No need to open that calculator app on your phone, just enter 5500 times 200, and Google will take care of the rest. It really makes the math simple and easy for your daily usage.

7) Search A Range of Numbers

Searching for a range of numbers is another trick that not many people know. For example, if are trying to find who was the U.S President between 1950 and 1970, you can enter in the Google bar the following search parameter:

U.S Presidents 1950 -1970. It will bring up results with dates ranging between the years 1950 and 1970.

8) The Power of The Asterisk

The asterisk works as a wild card within the Google search bar, and can be used as a part of a word or in place of a missing word. Not only it can prove to be useful for searching a less definite article but also for completing phrases. When you use an asterisk, Google will leave a placeholder in your search parameters that will be filled by the search engine later. For example, it is a clever way to find song lyrics if you do not remember the exact words.

You can view the article on the Custom Software Lab website here: 

https://www.customsoftwarelab.com/top-8-clever-google-search-tricks/